Saving Prue
by T1gerCat
Summary: Phoebe dreams of the alternate future that would never be real. Piper confronts her baby sister but neither includes Paige. What can the youngest Matthews do to help her sisters' pain?
1. The dream

Saving Prue

**A/N**: A story that was created when I browsing the imdb forums on 'Charmed' and saw a thread about prue being still alive in 2009 only because the 'return back to the past' spell that went hand in hand with the 'move ahead in time' spell was used. So I took that idea and run with it. I hope my story makes sense and that you people like it: D

Chapter 1 – The Dream

Phoebe had begun to feel the heat of the flames on her skin. She screamed in pain, hot tears sliding down her cheeks, her dark eyes locked to those of her sisters. Piper and Prue were huddled together at the other end of the room. They were locked in watching their baby sister burning at the stake.

"Who would have thought that burning witches would begin again in 2009 and it would all be our fault"

Prue was thinking as she squeezed Piper close in her arms. She was trying not to think of how she had failed her promise to her mother and later on to her grandmother that she'd protect the 'babies' with her own life.

Piper had hidden her face in Prue's shoulder and was sobbing. Inside she was cursing the moment they had come in their powers. The smell of burning flesh was revolting and the knowledge that the smell was that of Phoebe made her want to throw up.

Phoebe let out her final scream before the flames engulfed her completely and then, just like that, she found herself falling on her knees. She was alive!

"Prue? Piper?"

She screamed loudly gasping for air. Almost immediately two pairs of arms engulfed her in a practiced motion.

"It's okay, it was only a dream"

Piper rocked her in a motherly tone. Phoebe hid her face in Piper's thick locks breathing deeply.

"What was it? What did you see?"

A softer voice than Prue's asked her. Phoebe muttered something that neither of her sisters heard.

"Do you want to repeat that honey?"

Piper coaxed her. Phoebe sighed and pulled back

"I saw us in the future. When I was burning at the stake. When Prue was alive"

She finished quietly a fresh wave of tears flowing down her cheeks. Piper closed her eyes. The memory was too hard to handle as she shuddered.

Next to them Paige flinched harshly pulling back from their embrace but neither Halliwell sister seemed to notice.

Paige had been woken up harshly by a bad feeling and had immediately orbed back to the manor without a word to her new husband but now she regretted it. She had heard about the time the three sisters had gone to the future and what they had lived then. She also knew that in *that* future, Prue was still alive and that she, Paige, wasn't even a shadow in their lives.

She stood up and quietly left Phoebe's room. Paige Mitchell walked around in the manor that she had lived for the past four years but never felt like home letting her eyes roam free on the earth colored walls. She felt her eyes water as she mentally counted the photos around the house and then divided them in P3 vol 1 (Prue - Piper - Phoebe) and P3 vol 2 (Piper - Phoebe - Paige). She loved her half sisters and she knew they loved her back but it was hard not to flinch when the numbers were clearly in favor of P3 vol 1.

Paige sighed as she took a seat on the wooden staircase that led to the attic, putting her head to rest on her knees. She could still hear Phoebe's soft cries and Piper's words of comfort. Running a hand through her hair she saw a pair of blue eyes tinkling from a picture on the opposite wall.

The sister Paige never knew was sitting on this very same staircase, leaning against the banister casually, her green eyes twinkling and a smirk on her face.

"I know something you don't"

She seemed to be saying. In fact those blue eyes seemed to connect to Paige's brown ones with purpose.

"I may be half asleep still but there's something wrong with that picture"

Paige mused. Prue's eyes seemed to harden slightly and their focus was no longer Paige but the stairwell behind her. Paige shivered slightly as she noticed the moving eyes and opened her mouth to call out for Piper. Then she changed her mind. She was doing pretty well on her own before. With an expression of determination she stood up and walked up the stairs to the attic.

There was only one person that could calm down Phoebe and Piper right now and it sure wasn't Paige. It was time to track down prue and bring her home to console her sisters.

"Hear these words, hear my cries

Spirit from the other side

Come to me, I summon thee

Cross now the great divide"

Nothing. No swirls, no soft air, and most importantly no prue. Paige pursed her lips and scratched her nose.

"I need some help here"

She called out hoping that either Patty or Penny would hear her. One of them must have because the pages of the thick family Book of Shadows began turning on their own accord. Paige waited patiently for them to settle on a page before she called out thanks.

"Return Spell? That's not even close to what I had in mind"

The raven haired witch complained. And yet, deep down, she knew that that was the spell she needed. Walking to the attic's door she listened for Piper and Phoebe and couldn't hear a thing. Resolved that that was what she must do she stood straighter and walked back to the stand where the Book was propped.

"Take me back from whence I came.

To time and place that are the same.

Let past be present, that time regain"

She read clearly. Almost immediately a swirl of white lights engulfed her and then dropped her. She landed on her side roughly

"Ouch"

She moaned and looked around her.

"What the..."

She was in her apartment. The one she lived in until Piper and Phoebe asked her to move in with them a few weeks after Prue died.

"I need to start reading the full page of a spell before casting spells"

She stood quiet for a few moments, letting her mind wrap itself around what she had just done. She felt different, lighter somehow and she knew why. There was no wedding band on her finger. Her hair was all in her eyes and the calendar on the wall was of the opinion that the year was 1999.

"Why did the spell bring me to the past?"

She asked herself before she realized something. She no longer had her witch powers. She got them in 2001, after prue died. She looked down in her hands suddenly nervous.

"I've never even spoken to Prue before"

She bit her bottom lip, a habit she had kicked off ages ago. With another deep breath she looked around the deeply familiar green room as she made up her mind.

She closed her eyes as she pictured the manor and felt the white orbs surround her


	2. The trip

Chapter 2 – The trip

She arrived at the manor at exactly the same spot she left from. In the attic, standing in front of the Book. A Book that snapped itself closed when she reached out to touch it.

"Traitor"

She hissed at it before running her tongue over her lips and smoothing down her clothes. Then she stood straight and began descending the stairs. Arriving at the landing she furrowed her brows as all three sisters were staring out of the window in the living room.

"Oh yeah, the dog poop guy"

Paige mused. She must have spoken louder than she wanted through because in only one move Prue had whirled around and had raised her right hand in offense.

"Who are you?"

Prue asked in no nonsense, her green eyes locking to Paige's brown ones. Paige noticed that Prue had turned her body to shield Piper and Phoebe from her in a move that felt instinctual. A pang went through Paige's heart at the unfamiliar move. Piper had been hardened by the time they accepted her.

"I'm P… oh screw it"

With a wave of her own hand Paige had engulfed Prue in white orbs and transported both Prue and herself at the Golden Gate Bridge. It was the one place she could always relax and be herself.

"Not funny"

Prue growled once they landed and thrust out her hand sending Paige to dangle in mid air high above traffic.

"Who are you?"

Prue repeated. Paige sighed

"I'm Paige, your half sister"

She announced. Her announcement was met with stony silence as Prue's eyes squinted at her in a calculating way. Then she sighed and dropped Paige back to the bridge

"I was afraid you'd show up one day"

Paige's eyes widened

"You know about me?"

"I was two when Piper was born, three when Phoebe was born and four and a half when you were born. I was old enough to know that mom hadn't just gained some weight"

Prue mimicked the words Patty had used as an explanation for the 'how and why' years ago. Paige let out a big breath and sat cross legged on the cold metal bridge. Prue assumed the same position across from her. The two sisters were locked in a stare down for a few minutes

"Piper and phoebe will find us soon enough. You may want to tell me what's going on before they do"

Prue said simply. Paige winced a bit remembering how cold piper had been to her when they first met as the first seeds of doubt began forming in her head.

"I'm from the future. Spring of 2009 specifically"

She began. Prue furrowed her brows

"We just came back from 2009. Phoebe paid for her crime, didn't we fix it?"

Prue interrupted. Paige nodded

"You did and my 2009 is different than your 2009. Way different. But that is also why I'm here"

"What happened?"

Prue asked steadily. Paige took a deep breath and opened her mouth

"Phoebe woke up screaming. She dreamt of your 2009 and was screaming for you. Piper tried to calm her down but it was impossible"

"And you came to the past to get me to calm her down?"

Prue mocked. Paige rolled her eyes

"In my defense I was looking for you in my 2009. The spell must have backfired"

"Am I dead in your present?"

She asked calmly. Paige stood straighter surprised...

"How...?"

"You wouldn't need a spell to find me if I was still alive. You'd need a phone"

Prue said simply. Paige chuckled wryly remembering how phoebe had once mentioned that it was practically impossible to get a lie past prue

"Yes you are. You died during a demon attack."

Paige said quietly. She heard Prue's sharp intake of breath and decided to let her oldest sister think about it for a minute.

"Assuming the spell took you to 1999 and not later, it must be soon"

Prue said in the same tone. Paige shook her head

"Not really"

She lamented but knew her words were hollow. She was regretting the whole thing and was sure that prue could tell. When she had enough of looking at her hands, she looked up at prue who had a strangely serene expression

"You seem calm"

"I'm not. I'm trying to talk myself out of asking you more information about my death"

"I was thinking the same thing. Personally I find your death stupid but I don't know if it was destiny or sheer stupidity"

Prue tilted her head to the side.

"You want to explain that?"

Paige bit her bottom lip before nodding.

"A demon split you all. You and piper managed to thwart him for a while but he came back. Phoebe was out when he did and by the time she returned you were dead"


	3. The solution

Chapter 3 – The Solution

Prue stared at the sister she had only seen once too many years ago. Her mind was struggling to wrap around the information Paige gave her but she couldn't make ends meet.

"And why is my death incredibly stupid?"

She questioned trying to ignore how her heart constricted every time the word 'death' was being spoken. One of her fears was that she was going to die young and it seemed like it was also her destiny.

Paige's eyes shifted. Prue found herself studying the brown orbs amused. Paige had the same eyes as mom, piper and phoebe.

"Because it could have been easily avoided"

Paige spat and she shot up and began walking up and down the spacious bridge. Prue waited for the burst of energy to go down before she spoke again. She knew it would, Phoebe's always did. Then again piper was the patience in the house, not prue.

"Hey"

Paige shouted as she landed on her knees and palms and glared at prue who has shot one leg out to trip her.

"You. Explain. Now!"

Prue told her in a serious tone. Paige fought another gulp. Piper screamed and shouted but Prue's clear alpha bitch demeanor was more compelling.

"Phoebe met a guy and fell hard for him. You didn't trust him and if you ask me, you were right. Phoebe and Leo were with him and Leo didn't sense that you and piper were in danger. When he finally did you were playing bridge with mom and grams and piper was almost gone as well. He healed her but piper was never the same again. You left very big shoes to fill"

Prue blinked. Paige's words sounded absurd but it also made sense. Phoebe drawn to bad guys and deep down she believed that Leo would eventually come back for piper. As for the demons, well they always showed up at the manor

"What do you propose then? Assuming that this all will actually happen and our little tête-à-tête hasn't messed up everything already."

Paige smirked

"Vanquish phoebe's amore before all hell breaks loose?"

"And I thought I was the 'vanquish first, ask questions later' kind of witch in the family"

Prue retorted smiling amused. The whole thing was crazy but... better safe than sorry.

Prue's gut was screaming at her to keep her silence about Paige to piper and phoebe about Paige and she did. The two returned to the manor a bit later and orbed straight to prue's room.

"Why don't you get something of mine to wear?"

Prue offered needing a few minutes of blessed silence to sit and think what Paige had told her. Sitting on the old couch in the attic, she opened a notebook and began writing the dates and facts Paige had told her about.

She would die sometime in 2001, after phoebe had been involved with someone prue shouldn't trust and that relationship would be the reason for her death. Afterwards a broken piper would try to summon prue; fail but the spell would ultimately bring Paige to the family. With Paige's help the sisters would fulfill their destiny. Paige had refused to say more except that if she could choose now, she'd pick the other option, whatever that meant.

Prue bit her lip

"Is there any chance you're ling to me about all this?"

She asked Paige the moment her youngest sister stepped in the attic. Paige shook her head 'no'.

"I would be if we were when I first piper and phoebe and I had a huge inferiority complex over being much useless than your super witch status"

Paige said with a chuckle.

"I'm not a super witch"

Prue exclaimed. Paige rolled her eyes

"I told you, big shoes to fill"

She retorted.

"Hypothetical question. Let's say an angel of destiny offered you a chance at a normal life. No demons, no powers no nothing. Would you take it?"

Paige asked as she looked around the room. It was much messier and less broken than she was used to. Prue stared at Paige for a few minutes

"It depends"

"On?"

"What the offer entails. If we're powerless but demons know we're here, living, breathing, sitting ducks then no. if it's a mutual truce then maybe. It's also important on whether it affects our future children or not"

Prue's non committal answer brought a smile on Paige's lips. Those questions were the only thing that none of them had thought to answer when the angel of destiny had made his offer after they vanquished the source and Cole for the first time.

"Do me a favor? If this all works out, accept the offer"

Paige said quietly, her brown eyes locking with prue's green ones. Prue nodded even if she didn't know why she agreed. In fact Paige could be lying about everything, but she would still have time to make sure things didn't spiral out of control.

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah. any words of comfort for phoebe?"

"That it was a dream and it won't happen now"

Prue replied. Her soft tone mirrored Paige's

_"A time for everything, _

_And to everything its place _

_Return what has been moved _

_Through time and space"_

Prue watched the silver orbs engulf Paige and move her through time before she lit five candles in a circle and chanted a summoning spell

_"Hear these words, hear my cry. _

_Spirit from the other side, _

_Come to me, I summon thee, _

_Cross now the great divide."_

"I need help Grams"


	4. The result

Chapter 4 – The Result

The room spun in and out of focus as the silver orbs cleared. Paige was relieved to see that she was once again in the manor and if the half broken sofa was any indication, she was in the future once again.

"What date though?"

Paige asked herself. She looked around her in the large room for any indication of the year and the recent events.

And she found it. On the empty wall that first Abraxas and later Chris had used to create a portal through time and space, a large corkboard was hanging.

On it were a multitude of photos, maps, schedules and notes, all with a specific theme. The things she had told Prue to look out for. There were brief notes and comments on them with large ticks or small crosses.

Paige was glad she had been right. Prue was the one with the planning skills while piper and phoebe usually hoped things would work out, and then they didn't.

There was a picture of Cole with the basic information of when/where he would become the source and how to avoid it. It had a green tick

There was a note with how p3 vol 2 killed the source. It had a note attached on how to contain the source's energy in a box similar to the one that holds the Hollow. It was ticked green.

There were notes on the Jenkins sisters. Their post-its were about how to slip Billie a power binding potion after she donated blood. It was marked with a large green tick

"They came in handy"

A voice called to her before she could go through them all. Paige shrieked as she twirled around thrusting a hand out in defense. Of course, nothing happened.

"You didn't get my TK since I never died, sorry"

Prue's green eyes were dancing as she kept her face solemn. Paige let a wry chuckle

"It's okay. What else did I change?"

Prue's returning smile was brilliant.

"Come and see"

The two fell in line walking down the stairs and as soon as they stepped in the kitchen Paige gasped.

"I think I screwed things up too much"

The Whitelighter mumbled.

Piper was in the kitchen cooking up a storm. Leo was sitting on the table playing scrabble with Henry and Coop. Phoebe was kneeling next to a playpen occupied not only with Wyatt and Chris but also a little girl that seemed to be slightly older than Wyatt.

"Nah let me fill you in"

Prue said as both sisters joined phoebe on the floor to pick a child to play with

"We followed your advice on the source"

Phoebe said simply without looking at Prue or phoebe. Prue rolled her eyes

"Are you still mad about Cole?"

"Did you vanquish him?"

Paige asked

"Nope. We did let him rise through the underworld though. It pays well to have your enemies closer than your friends"

Piper called out. Paige bit back the laughter that was about to escape her. She couldn't believe they hadn't vanquished the crazy son of a demoness.

"You also didn't say 'yes' to the angel of destiny, did you?"

"Over my undead body"

Leo stated as he put the word 'spell' on the scrabble board

"Wyatt would still be the 'Twice blessed child' no matter what the girls did with their powers"

Victor added before smiling at her as he placed the letter 's' at the end of Leo's word stealing all his points.

"Anything else I need to know?"

Only that your new niece's name is Pauline"

Prue said with a smile.

"Ask her who the dad is"

Phoebe goaded. Paige smiled as she turned expectantly to Prue who rolled her eyes good naturedly at her sisters

"Bane Jessup"

Paige threw her head up and began laughing

"I like how the whole family has this bad boy feel on our men"

With that Paige put little Pauline back in the playpen where the green eyed girl glared at Wyatt who promptly put the pacifier back to Chris' mouth before the little beast began wailing.

Just as Prue, phoebe and Paige sat with the men of their lives, piper brought breakfast. They all tuck in. Paige watched her family with a smile and put her head on Henry's chest.

This was how it was all meant to be


End file.
